(TakePart) The unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray—who died of a severed spine while in police custody—seemed to have caught elected officials, the public, and the media off guard. And those who are far removed from the problems, the challenges, and the indignities facing poor and disenfranchised communities in that city shake their heads in disbelief and wonder why this is all happening.
Surely, the distant observer or armchair pundit has questions. Why are they protesting? Why are they destroying their own neighborhoods? Why did they loot the CVS? Why didn’t the suspect simply comply with the police and avoid causing his own death?
These questions reflect the very real disconnect between the haves and the have nots in the land of the free, and the gaping chasm on matters of race. It’s impossible to comprehend what’s happening here and now—or know the issues we have yet to face—without having an intimate awareness of black America’s history.
Showing posts with label mass incarceration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mass incarceration. Show all posts
May 11, 2015
Sorry Bill Clinton: The effects of your drug, prison policies need more than a ‘my bad’
(theGrio) They always say better late than never.
But in the case of Bill Clinton’s apology for the war on drugs and mass incarceration, is it too much, too late?
President Bill Clinton admitted what few politicians ever do. He said he was wrong. He conceded that the policies of his administration played a role in today’s mass incarceration of America.
As CNN reported, the former president admitted that he and his administration touted the “three strikes” provision of his 1994 omnibus crime bill, while also pointing the finger at Republicans. The legislation provided for mandatory life sentences for people convicted of a violent felony after at least two prior convictions, including drug-related offenses.
But in the case of Bill Clinton’s apology for the war on drugs and mass incarceration, is it too much, too late?
President Bill Clinton admitted what few politicians ever do. He said he was wrong. He conceded that the policies of his administration played a role in today’s mass incarceration of America.
As CNN reported, the former president admitted that he and his administration touted the “three strikes” provision of his 1994 omnibus crime bill, while also pointing the finger at Republicans. The legislation provided for mandatory life sentences for people convicted of a violent felony after at least two prior convictions, including drug-related offenses.
April 11, 2015
Why Rand Paul’s presidential bid should matter to black America
(theGrio) It is official.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is running for the Republican nomination for president in 2016. But why should black America care?
Pay close attention to his views on mass incarceration and the war on drugs, which could move the Republican Party forward on criminal justice reform and possibly attract blacks, younger voters and other Democratic base voters. But don’t lose sight of the senator’s past statements against civil rights, which sound a lot like the same ol’ GOP story. And that story, brought to you by the tea party, has not been very friendly to black people these days.
“I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government,” Paul said on his campaign website.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is running for the Republican nomination for president in 2016. But why should black America care?
Pay close attention to his views on mass incarceration and the war on drugs, which could move the Republican Party forward on criminal justice reform and possibly attract blacks, younger voters and other Democratic base voters. But don’t lose sight of the senator’s past statements against civil rights, which sound a lot like the same ol’ GOP story. And that story, brought to you by the tea party, has not been very friendly to black people these days.
“I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government,” Paul said on his campaign website.
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